As for accomplishments, I just did what I had to do as things came along.
Eleanor Roosevelt

Thursday, August 2, 2007

New knitting books.

I indulged a bit. Debbie Bliss Home (I tried to insert a link from Amazon and something Strange happened with the link from Amazon, and I'm too brain-fogged to figure out why, though I'm pretty sure it wasn't me, because my rudimentary HTML skills didn't get hit by the brain surgery.) I also bought the new Interweave Knits' book, Favorite Socks (same issue as above, it'd be easier for you to Google it than for me to figure out why a link is ten miles long and doesn't want to link - I swear I've done this before, many times, and my brain isn't THAT damaged). I love both books - DBH has two sweaters I really will make AND wear, and the Baby Cashmerino socks will be perfect for the leftovers from the Falling Water Scarf.

I also love the IK sock book. I saw a pair I must make for my son, and three or four more that I'll get to, too, and a few I'll think about. Good deal. I like the degree of difficulty - interesting but not hard, because as we know, I do not seek "Challenges" in my knitting. And I have a boatload of sock yarn on hand, so this book will get used.

I also bought Opinionated Knitter, the collection of Elizabeth Zimmerman's newsletters. It is charming, I know I'll enjoy reading it, but other than the infamous Baby Surprise Jacket, I don't think I'll make anything in it. The styles are basic and pleasant, but nothing that excites me.

Not like those two sweaters in Debbie Bliss Home - I really like them, and now I have a shopping list for my visit to Asheville, and my stop at Yarn Paradise. I liked quite a few things in this book, but the sweaters really grabbed me. The Diagonal Front Jacket looks like something I'd wear until everyone is sick of seeing it. The Seed Stich Jacket is a close second.

And tonight I must catch up on TV I've DV-Red. (Is that a verb? It should be.) Cousin C turned me on to Damages, and we both want Glenn Close's haircut, and the show is great. And I'm falling behind on Saving Grace. And I might even finish the Falling Water Scarf while catching up on recorded TV. Boy, this thing needs blocking, it's a Falling Burrito.

I would have knitted and watched TV last night, but shortly after finishing my last blog entry, the lights went out. And stayed out, for three hours. Yes, it rained yesterday, but no wind, no lightning, just rain. And the rain stopped, and I let the dogs out, and I let the dogs in and settled in for TV and knitting, and there was a loud boom of an exploding transformer, and all was darkness.

And Murphy freaked the hell out. I don't know if this dog has buried trauma from the hurricanes in '04, or if he's just getting obsessed with Keith Olbermann in his old age, like his mother, and was pissed that the Big Talking Box went off while he was listening, but the lights went out and the dog went nuts. He panted and paced, frantic, for hours. And pooped on the floor. Small, nervous, rabbity little poops. And panted, and paced, and generally acted like he was losing his mind. Finally, when he was all pooped out (but still gasping and panting) I convinced him that getting on Mommy's bed would be safe and he'd feel better, put him on the bed with me and Dudley, who truly did not give a shit, and Murphy basically passed out. The lights came on around midnight, Girl came home from work and turned off the stuff that had turned itself back on. And I am up to I am not sure how many days of lousy sleep. 8 hours, uninterrupted, that's all I want.

After a couple of weekends of running around, this weekend is going to be about unloading Stuff again. Crazy Aunt Purl inspired me - she wants to make a home, I want to unmake a house, and make a new home somewhere else. And the technique is the same - stripping things down to what matters. And when you start doing it, you start looking around and realize how few Things really matter. And then getting rid of it feels good, like waking up five pounds thinner. It's gonna be a garbage party!

For me, Less IS More. I feel suffocated by my Stuff, and I really don't have mountains of stuff, just more than I want now. I don't want to work to support Stuff anymore. Just me, and my little dog too, and the two Olde Cattes.